Thin rubber surfaced bearings
AssigneeThe B. F. Goodrich Company
InventorRoy L. Orndorff, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved water-lubricated bearing consists of longitudinal strips of rubber bonded to a rigid backing. The strips are either flat or have a concave surface of less curvature than the journal, and are so thin that the width of each strip is at least 6 and preferably 10 or more times its thickness. The backing may be polyethylene bonded to the rubber during vulcanization.
Claims22
A journal bearing having a plurality of journal-supporting longitudinal faces of elastomeric material separated by longitudinal lubricant passages, with the elastomeric material attached to an essentially rigid external backing, characterized in that each journal-supporting face has:
- a. a surface shape between the limits of the curvature of the journal and a plane, and for a major part of its width has a radius of curvature substantially greater than the radius of the journal;
- b. a circumferential width which is at most half of the diameter of the journal;
- and
- c. a thickness, between the journal-supporting surface and the rigid external backing, which is at most one-sixth of the width of the face.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.